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Search forCheadle braced for dark times - but there's a light at the end of the tunnel
Wednesday, November 19, 2008, 11:10
But residents remained upbeat that both the company and the town would ride the storm of the economic downturn.
Reverend Ray Cummins, of Cheadle Methodist Church, said: "It will be a lean Christmas in Cheadle this year, just as across many towns up and down the country, and I am afraid it may get even worse before it gets better."
Retired landscaper John Carter, of Meir Heath, owns a number of domestic properties in Cheadle.
He said: "Working in the construction industry I predicted this downturn two years ago but people did not react quickly enough.
"Perhaps now we need some hard medicine. It was too easy to get credit and people were living beyond their means – but society is fragile and it is worrying times."
Retired nurse Frances Woodward, aged 67, of Robina Drive, said: "Everyone in Cheadle knows or is related to someone who works at JCB. For all those lads it has been difficult for anyone to make plans. They say it will pick up next spring but no-one really knows what lies ahead."
A 56-year-old former JCB worker, of Cheadle, who did not want to be named, accepted a redundancy package from the firm two months ago.
He said: "It was a real tough decision to make but looking back now I'm glad to get out and feel sorry for the lads who are still there.
"I had never considered retiring but I have loved being able to relax."
Another former JCB worker, of Cheadle, said: "I was made redundant seven years ago when there was a slight downturn in production and although it was rough at the time, in hindsight it was a blessing. There is life after JCB."
However, despite the latest cuts, confidence remains that employment will rise as the construction industry recovers from the downturn.
Kay Barks, aged 78, of Kingsley Holt, said: "For years JCB has been the biggest employer in Staffordshire, not just Cheadle, and I have no doubt that they will pick back up before too long."
Retired pharmacist Margaret Wilson, aged 72, of Minton Close, Cheadle, said: "The fallout from the job losses will rebound on to everyone but Cheadle is a great town and we'll pull through in the end."
Retired Creda worker Brian Eldred, aged 71, of Oakamoor Road, Cheadle, said: "JCB haven't got rid of jobs willy-nilly. This is a global crisis and obviously a difficult time for Cheadle.
"But I don't think shops will shut, we're all in this together and the tide will turn."
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